Sitting down with a financial planner for the first time can feel a little daunting. You might be wondering what to bring, what will be asked, or simply whether you’re ready to share your personal financial information. The good news is that a first meeting is simply a conversation, and a bit of preparation goes a long way toward making it a productive one.
Before the meeting
Come along prepared. The more complete the picture you can bring, the more useful the conversation will be. Aim to have the following on hand:
- Photo ID (this part is a requirement by law – driver’s licence is fine)
- Recent super statements
- Personal life insurance policies
- Recent pay slips
- Loan and mortgage statements
- Details of your will and Power of Attorney, including when they were last reviewed and where the originals are kept
- A rough household budget is useful, but please don’t worry if you don’t have one. We can work through the numbers together.
A copy of our website disclosure statement, outlining who we are and how we’re licensed, is available on our website. We’ll also give you a copy when you arrive for your first meeting.
Spend a moment thinking about your goals. What are you really aiming to achieve? What does your ideal retirement look like? We’ll often ask about family, including children, grandchildren, and elderly parents who may be receiving different levels of financial support. Is an inheritance likely in the future? Is there a legacy you want to leave behind?
If you have a partner, we strongly encourage you to come along together. Joint planning almost always leads to clearer decisions and better long-term outcomes.
During the meeting
Be as open as you can about your full financial position, including debts, day-to-day spending habits, and all sources of income. The more complete the picture, the more tailored our advice can be. Everything you share with us is kept strictly confidential. We’ll also talk through your comfort with market movements so we can understand your risk profile, which shapes the type of investment strategy that will suit you.
We’re not aiming to provide financial advice at this initial meeting; that comes later. We will take comprehensive notes, and, with your consent, an audio recording of the conversation helps us cover more at a natural pace.
We’ll ask a lot of questions about you, but the conversation should go both ways. Please feel free to ask us about our fees, qualifications, licensee, or how ongoing advice works. The more open the conversation is, the better we can understand how to help.
It can be a lot to take in, and often a second meeting is needed.
After the meeting
From there, if it’s appropriate, we’ll propose the next steps and confirm our fees in writing, so everything is clear before we proceed. If we provide advice, it will be documented in writing, and we’ll be here to help you implement any recommended strategies or changes.
There are a few steps we like to complete before we move forward:
- Engagement agreement, which helps us be clear about the scope of advice and cost, and seeks your consent for us to proceed with providing advice
- ID verification
- Investment risk questionnaire
- Authority to access information directly from investments, insurers, or super funds
We’ll keep you updated along the way, so you know what’s happening and why.
We look forward to starting the conversation with you.
